76 THE UPPER YUKON 



of strong wind that increased in velocity as 

 the day wore on. 



Our tent was fairly well sheltered from the 

 worst of the storm by the friendly willow 

 brush, but it was irksome to be kept a prisoner 

 in the tent. The storm performed all kinds of 

 vagaries. In the early morning it brought 

 soft snow, with large flakes; towards noon the 

 wind increased in vigor and the flakes dis- 

 appeared, giving way to hail, which fairly 

 screamed as it rushed by us. At about one 

 o'clock it had calmed down enough to war- 

 rant a suggestion to the Chief of making a 

 climb up the face of the mountain directly in 

 front of our camp. He shook his head, and 

 said the storm was not over by any means, and 

 if we got up on top and it should start to blow 

 again in hurricane fashion when we were up 

 there, we might be blown off. He was cau- 

 tious enough to want to wait until all danger 

 was past. 



It should be remembered that this was the 

 last day of August and it seemed peculiar to 

 us that such a wild storm should visit us this 

 early in the season. 



In the high Sierras of California snow 

 usually does not fall until about the end of 

 October or early in November, and then it 



